(Originally published in Greater Democracy)

It is 9:30 in the morning. Last night, we were up until about 2:00 as we went from one election party to another. Fiona is with her grandparents, so we had the opportunity to sleep a little bit late. However, the pets wanted to be fed, and there is still too much adrenaline in the system. I have a pretty bad headache, and no coffee yet.

If I ramble, or seem incoherent, I apologize.

I’ve scanned various blogs and emails. I have over six hundred unread emails. It will take a little time to get my thoughts together, but I will offer a few random first thoughts.

My biggest concern had been that if Kerry did not receive a clear mandate, there is a serious chance that the United States will experience social unrest worse than the sixties. Kerry has not received such a mandate. The battle lines are drawn in Florida and Ohio. We shall see what the next developments will be. Already, I’m finding the words ‘bloodshed’ in emails. As I re-read my post, the words ‘four dead in Ohio’ come to mind.